Magnetism of Frustrated R2tin3 Compounds (R = Nd, Ho, Er; T = Ag, Cu) by Muon Spin Rotation

Several R2TIn3 samples (Nd2AgIn3, Ho2AgIn3, Er2AgIn3, Ho2CuIn3 and Er2CuIn3 were studied by muon spin rotation/relaxation (mu SR). The R2TIn3 intermetallics are magnetically frustrated, mainly by competing ferro- and antiferromagnetic exchange. Susceptibility data suggested antiferromagnetic order with T-N in the 10K range for the materials under consideration. Later neutron diffraction studies were, however, unable to detect any magnetic Bragg peaks. The mu SR spectra of all compounds consist of two signals. One fast relaxing, reflecting strong interaction between the muon and the rare earth magnetic moments, the other slowly relaxing, arising largely from the interaction with the nuclear moments of In, its coupling to rare earth magnetism being extremely weak. Suggested origin are two different muon stopping sites in the binary layered crystal structure of the R2TIn3 series. Results on the magnetic behavior of the compounds studied are drawn from the fast relaxing signal. They show that below the susceptibility peak temperatures the systems enter into a spin-glass-type (Nd) or a spin-liquid-type (Ho,Er) short-range ordered magnetic structures, long-range order being definitely absent. Spin fluctuations persist in all cases in the limit T -> 0, a well established mu SR signature for frustrated magnetic materials.